Governor Gives 'Cocktails to Go' Thumbs Up for Maine Restaurants

News Center Maine reports that Governor Janet Mills has given Maine restaurants and bars a green light to sell spirit-based cocktails to go.

Before you get excited about that Espresso Martini, whoever is selling to you has guidelines to follow, according to the news station:

If you're buying a cocktail, you've got to order food and the receipt has to have a time/date stamp on it.
Each cocktail has to be made to order or come pre-packaged.
Cocktails can't be more than four and a half ounces. No giant frozen daiquiris, dang.
The drink has to have a label that says where it was bought from, when it was produced, and exactly what's in the drink.
Restaurants and bars that produce to go cocktails can't make them for other establishments.
Cocktails must be in a tamper-evident container provided by the bar or restaurant. This seems like the real obstacle to me. Containers have to have a screw top like you find on water bottles, with the plastic ring that separates and snaps, or be in a crown cap glass bottle or be in a vacuum or heat sealed pouch. That sounds like a lot. Then again I struggle with opening my thermos some days.

Allowing bars and restaurants to sell cocktails to go gives them another way to create income and to put some bar tenders back to work.

BTW, bartenders, we miss going out for drinks and food and having you wait on us and ask how we're doing. I could use a good bar tender now more than ever.

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